Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VP6’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Poinsettia plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by medium-sized, rose pink bracts, blooming consistently after 7.5 weeks of night-length of 13.5 hours or more, with a post-production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

Latin name of the genus and species: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Variety denomination: ‘ATN VP6’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘ATN VP6’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new variety was discovered as a whole plant induced mutation from the original cultivar ‘ATN VR2’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,522). The original cuttings were treated in February 2004 with gamma rays at 25 Gy. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Leo van Zanten in November 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘ATN VP6’ by terminal cuttings was performed in Oxnard, Calif., USA and has shown that the unique features of this new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type on successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ATN VP6’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘ATN VP6’ which in combination distinguish this Poinsettia as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Rose pink bract color;     -   2. Medium sized bracts in tight and flat rosette-like         arrangement;     -   3. Dark-green foliage with moderate lobes;     -   4. Bracts are medium-sized, v-shaped with the branches slanting         upright;     -   5. Begin of flowering after 7.5 weeks of night-length of 13.5         hours or more and;     -   6. Post production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

Plants of the new cultivar, ‘ATN VP6’ are similar to plants of the parent variety ‘ATN VR2’ in most horticulture characteristics, however plants of the new cultivar ‘ATN VP6’ have a wider plant spread. In addition, the new variety ‘ATN VP6’ has pink bracts compared to the red bracts of the parent variety. Finally, the bracts of ‘ATN VP6’ are longer and wider than the bracts of the parent variety ‘ATN VR2’.

In comparison to the commercially available variety ‘Festival Pink’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,559), ‘ATN VP6’ has different color pink bracts as well as different color green foliage. The new variety ‘ATN VP6’ is taller than ‘Festival Pink’. Finally, the comparable variety ‘Festival Pink’ has more bracts per inflorescence than the new cultivar ‘ATN VP6’.

In comparison to the commercially available variety ‘490 Pink’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,817), ‘ATN VP6’ has shorter bracts than the comparable variety. The comparable variety ‘490 Pink’ has different color pink bracts and more bracts per inflorescence. Finally, the comparable variety is shorter but wider in overall plant size than ‘ATN VP6’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘ATN VP6’ grown in a 6.5-inch pot. One cutting was used in the pot, planted in late August and grown in a greenhouse using approximately 4,000-foot candles of light. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in a color representation of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘ATN VP6’ plants grown in Oxnard, Ventura County, Calif., from late August to late November of 2004. The plants are approximately 126 days old. The growing temperature ranged from 18° C. to 20° C. at night to 20° C. to 24° C. during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar ‘ATN VP6’. -   Commercial classification: Poinsettia.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate rooting: Approximately 10 days at 20-22° C. -   Time to develop roots: Sufficiently rooted for transplanting after     about 25 days in a greenhouse at temperature of 20-22° C.

PLANT

-   Form: Mounding inverted triangle self-branching, mounded top of     plant. -   Growth habit: Moderately compact structure, pinched plants are bushy     with the branches upright directed at an angle of roughly 35     degrees, foliage canopy uniformly rounded. -   Height: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 38 cm. -   Plant spread: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 42 cm. -   Growth rate: Low to medium vigor. -   Branching characteristics: Free-branching. -   Diameter of branches: Approximately 0.7 cm. -   Average number of branches: Approximately 7 after pinching. -   Length of lateral branches: Approximately 25 cm. -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Approximately 7. -   Stem color: Near Green 143C. -   Age of plant described: Approximately 126 days.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate single.         -   Average length.—Approximately 12 cm.         -   Average width.—Approximately 8 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Ovate.         -   Lobes.—Moderate lobes.         -   Tip.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Rounded to almost truncate.         -   Attachment.—Stalked.         -   Margin.—Entire, apart from the lobes.         -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.         -   Leaf internode length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near Yellow-Green 147A.             Young foliage under side: Near Green 137B. Mature foliage             upper side: Near Green 137A. Mature foliage under side: Near             Green 138B.         -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate. Venation color upper side: Near             Green 143C with near Greyed-Red 182B pigment at base.             Venation color under side: Near Green 143D. -   Petiole:     -   -   Average length.—Approximately 6 cm.         -   Color.—Near Greyed-Red 182B.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.3 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Aspect.—Petioles are horizontally directed.

FLOWER

-   Inflorescence:     -   -   Inflorescence description.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia.         -   Blooming habit.—Begin under natural short day conditions in             the fall: Botanically (cyathia open) in late December.             Commercially (bracts colored, marketable in late November).         -   Flowering response time.—60 days after beginning of short             days (nights longer than 13.5 hours.)         -   Flowering description.—Whole inflorescence with surrounding             bracts. About medium-size, star-shaped, with the bracts             directed in a tight arrangement and overlapping.         -   Natural flowering season.—Mainly from late November to late             December.         -   Number of inflorescences per lateral branch.—Approximately             1.         -   Diameter of inflorescence.—Approximately 12 cm.         -   Height of inflorescence.—Approximately 7.6 cm.         -   Number of bracts per inflorescence.—About 14.         -   Persistence.—Persistent. -   Bracts:     -   -   Length of largest bracts.—About 13 cm.         -   Width of largest bracts.—About 12 cm.         -   Keeping quality.—Plants have a post-production longevity of             6 weeks.         -   Shape.—Ovate, with moderate lobes.         -   Base.—Obtuse, moderate lobes with acute tips.         -   Terminal tip.—Acuminate. -   Texture:     -   -   Upper surface.—Glabrous, velvety.         -   Lower surface.—Glabrous velvety.         -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate. -   Color:     -   -   Developing bracts.—Upper surface: Near Red 50B. Lower             surface: Near Red 50C.         -   Mature bracts.—Upper surface: Near Red 51B. Lower Surface:             Near Red 51B. -   Bract petiole:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 4 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.3 cm.         -   Color.—Near Red 53C. -   Cyathium: About 12 per corymb. -   Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 3.2 cm. -   Length of individual cyathia: Approximately 1.2 cm. -   Width of individual cyathia: Approximately 0.6 cm. -   Shape: Ovoid. -   Color:     -   -   Immature.—Near Yellow 9B.         -   Mature.—Near Yellow-Orange 15A. -   Aging: Near Yellow-Green 145A. -   Nectar cups/nectaries:     -   -   Quantity.—One or two per cyathium.         -   Width.—Up to 5 mm wide.         -   Color.—Near Yellow 9A. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length.—About 0.3 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 0.2 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Near Yellow-Green 145B. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—Approximately 15 in a cluster.         -   Anther shape.—Bi-lobed.         -   Anther length.—About 0.1 cm.         -   Anther color.—Near Red 51A.         -   Quantity of pollen.—Moderate.         -   Pollen color.—Near Yellow-Orange 16A. -   Pistils: None observed.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: No resistance nor susceptibility has been     observed to normal pests and diseases of poinsettia crops. -   Fruit/seed production: No seed observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VP6’ as herein illustrated and described. 